Post-molding machine.



W. THOM.

POST MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED APR. 3. 1915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W; THOM.

POST MOLDING MACHINE.

'APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 19l5.

'1, 170,01 9. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

o o 2/ q 3 I o J u u 2 I u I H 26 2 /4 ,Q 2/

73 1s A? m 7:9, J: wve'ntoz 2 William mam WILLIAM THOM, OF MARION, INDIANA.

POST-MOLDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed April 3, 1915: Serial No. 18,823.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Molding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for molding fence and other posts of concrete or analogous material, and its object 1s to provide a machine of this kind which is simple in construction, and which can be easily handled and which is rapid in operation.

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel and improved mold structure having means for supportlng reinforcing elements to be embedded in the post \Vith the herein stated objects in view,

the invention consists in a combination andv arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, with some of the molds or forms removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 3 is an end view thereof; Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of one end of a mold, and Fig. 6 is a crosssection on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the molds or forms are supported on a truck comprising side bars 10 carrying supports 11 for the axles 12 of the wheels 13, said side bars being ordinary angle irons, and connected by front and rear cross beams 14 which are channeled or U-shaped in cross-section, the channels being at the top. The truck is mounted 011 a track, the rails of which are indicated at 15. The side bars and the cross beams are connected at their junctions by corner brace castings 16, the parts being firmly bolted together to obtain the necessary strength and rigidity.

By mounting the machine on a truck the molds, when filled, can be conveniently distributed, and laid down where desired, thus saving time, labor and expense. The rails 15 may be two pieces of timber nailed together, and secured to stringers 17. The track is portable and may be readily put down and taken up.

In order to shake the material in the molds or forms, there is connected to one of the stringers 17 a hand lever 18 connected by a link 19 to one of the cross beams 14 of the truck. Upon operating the hand lever, the truck is carried back and forth and the material in the molds or forms is agitated, resulting in the proper degree of compactness and removing air bubbles.

The molds or forms are indicated at 20, they being trough shaped and formed of sheet metal. In order tov obtain a post which tapers toward the top, the molds taper toward one end in width and depth. As shown in Fig. 1 the truck supports a plurality of molds, the same being mounted side by side in alternate reverse position, the small end of one mold being next to the large end of the adjacent mold. The molds rest at their large ends on the cross beams 14, and their small end rests on blocks 21 mounted in the channels of said cross beams, the height of said blocks being such that the molds are supported with their tops even and level. lhe blocks 21 are adj ustably mounted in the channels of the cross beams, and they are secured in adjusted position by set screws 22. In order to prevent longitudinal displacement of the molds when they are shaken as hereinbefore described, the blocks 21 have top recesses 23 in which seat depending lugs 24 on the bottom of the molds. Sidewise displacement of the molds is prevented by upstanding lugs 25 on the blocks 21 at the end of the series, and similar lugs 26 carried by one end of the cross beams.

The molds 20 are provided with end gates 27 and 28, respectively, the former being at the large end and the latter at the small end. The end gate 27 fits between the side walls of the mold and is secured in place by the cross bolt 29 passing through said walls and through a lug 30 on the back of the gate. The end gate 28 is rigidly secured between the side walls of the mold in the same manner as the gate 27, the cross bolt Which fastens it in place being indicated at 31. In each mold 20, adjacent to the end gate 28, is slid-ably mounted a head plate 32, which is movable toward and from said end gate for a purpose to be presently described.

The end gate 27 and the head plate 32 support a reinforcement comprising" rods 33 which are to be embedded lengthwise in the post. In the end gate 27 and the head plate32 are apertures 34 in which the rods 33 are adapted to seat at their ends, whereby they are supported in the mold during the process of molding the post. v. l ou r reinforcing rods are employed, the apertures 34 being so located that the rods are embedded in the post near the corners thereof. The

reinforcing rods 33 are supported interand gaging the rods in a uniform position until held and supported in the compacted concrete.

In the back of the end gate 27 are recesses 34 into which the apertures 34 open, and in these recesses are mounted rubber washers 34 against which abut wood or leather plugs 34 mounted on the outer ends of rods 33. The rubber washers have small center apertures through which the rods pass, such apertures expanding to accommodate the entrance of the rods as they are pushed in while being placed in their position, the rods being held with a firm, yet elastic grip. Thewashers are capable of expansion or contraction to accommodate any variation in the gage or shape of the rods, andalso permitting any surplus in the length of the rods to extend beyond their seats. The rods are held with a firmer grip than is possible without the rubber Washers, and at the same time the rods can.

- the plate 37 so that the lug 37 seats in the aperture of the lug 32 of the head plate.

be easily drawn out of the washers.

The end gate 28 carries a holder for the head plate 32, said holder comprising a narrow plate 37 having studs or lugs 37 and 37, respectively, on opposite sides. Ad-

jacent t0 the stud 37, but on the same side of the plate as the stud 37 is a lug 37 and at the opposite end of the plate, adjacent to the stud 37*, said plate carries a screw 37 The end gate 28 has a top lug 28 which is .apertured to receive the screw 37 and the In operation, the molds 20 are first oiled so as to cover the entire interior surface,

the ends of the rods may be supported by being seated in the apertures 34 of said plate and the plate 27. positioned so that thestud 37 enters the aperture in the lug 32 of the head plate,

37 into the aperture in the lug 28? of the end gate 28, wherebythe head plate 32v is g The plate 37 is held in advanced position asshown. The molds are now partly filled and given an initial. ,s11ake,..'.'aft'er" which the member 35 is removed by being tilted sidewise in the concrete'unti-l its lugs 36 clear the rods 33, and the head plate 32 is set back, and at the -sa1n'e time, and with the same movement,

the rods 33 are drawn out of the apertures 34 in the and gate 27 by tilting the head plate slightly backward or outward so that the ends-of the rods seating in the apertures 34 of the head plate are gripped, the rods being thus drawn forward and out of the end gate 27 as the head plate is set back against the end gate 28. The rods are allowed to drop out of the apertures in the head plate before the latter rests against the end gate. 28, so that the rods are now clear of the mold, and left entirely sup This ported in the compacted concrete. operation is readily effected as the concrete has not yet set or become hardened. The molds are nowfilled completely and given a final shake and after being smoothed over by a trowel they are ready for removal. When the posts are finished the truck may be rolled to the place where the posts are to be laid out to cure or season. As the concrete mass fills the mold up to the head plate 32 in its retracted position shown in Fig. 5, the rods 33 at this end of the post are also entirely embedded in the concrete mass, and the post may therefore be read ily removed from-the mold when cured.

WVhen the head plate 32 is set back as hereinhefore described and shown in Fig.

5, it is held in this position by reversing securing the fence wires. This tube is sup-t '5 ported at one end on the lug 37 and at the other end on av lug 42 on the face of thehead plate.

I claim: I l. A mold comprising a tapered cross beams beneath the ends of the form, the large end of the form seating on one of the cross beams, a block carried by the other being channeled in cross sections, the block seating in the channel of the beam, means for fastening the block in they channel, and a support for the cross beams.

v.2. A mold comprising a tapered form, cross beams beneath the endsof the form,

- the large end of the form seating on one of and it ismade fast by insertmg the screw small end-of the form seats, said end of the,

form,

, one ofthe cross beams, on which block the small end of the form seats, said cross beamform having depending a bottom lug and the top of the block having an aperture in which the lug seats, and a support for the cross beams.

3. A mold comprising a bottom and side walls, end gates closing the ends of the mold, one of said end gates having means to support one end of a reinforcement, and a head plate in the mold adjacent to the other end gate and movable toward and from the same, said head plate having means to support the other end of the reinforcement, the supporting position of the head plate being when it is spaced from the adjacent end gate, the head plate being movable toward said end gate to release the reinforcement, and means for locking the head plate in supporting position.

4. A mold comprising a bottom and side walls, end gates closing the ends of the mold, one of said end gates having means to support one end of a reinforcement, and a head plate in the mold adjacent to the other end gate and movable toward and from the same, said headplate having means to support the other end of the reinforcement, and a removable support in the mold for the intermediate portion of the reinforcement, said support being detachable from the reinforcement and removable from the mold.

5. A mold comprising a bottom and side walls, end gates closing the ends of the mold,

one of said end gates having apertures to support one end of a reinforcement, and a head plate in the mold adjacent to the other end gate and movable toward and from the same, said head plate having apertures to support the other end of the reinforcement, the aforesaid apertured end gate having recesses in its rear face into which the apertures open, and an elastic washer seating in said recesses, said washer being perforated to receive the reinforcement.

6. A mold comprising a bottom and side walls, end gates closing the ends of the molds, one of said end gates having means to support one end of a reinforcement, a head plate in the mold adjacent to the other end gate and movable toward and from the same, said head plate having an apertured top lug and means to support the other end of the reinforcement, a locking plate for the head plate, said locking plate having studs on opposite sides, and the locking plate being reversible for insertion of either stud into the aperture of the head plate lug, and means for securing the locking plate to the end gate which is adjacent to the head plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM THOM.

WVitnesses Mazzin BAILEY, LUCY M. THOM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

